The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has immediately suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies following a military coup that overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on Tuesday, November 26, 2025.

The suspension, which is in line with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, was announced late Thursday after an emergency virtual summit of the regional bloc's Heads of State and Government. The regional body strongly condemned the military takeover and demanded the immediate return to constitutional order.

Key Demands from ECOWAS

In a strongly worded communiqué, the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) outlined its non-negotiable demands to the coup leaders:

  1. Unconditional Restoration of Constitutional Order: The bloc insists on the swift return to civilian, democratic rule.
  2. Release of Detained Officials: ECOWAS demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained officials, including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló (who has since been evacuated to Senegal), electoral officials, and other political figures.
  3. Completion of Electoral Process: Coup organizers must respect the will of the people by allowing the National Electoral Commission to proceed without delay in the declaration of the results from the disputed November 23 elections.

ECOWAS High-Level Mediation Mission

To facilitate dialogue and pressure the military regime, ECOWAS has immediately dispatched a High-Level Mediation Mission to Bissau.

The mission is led by the current ECOWAS Chairman, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and includes:

  1. President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo
  2. President José Maria Pereira Neves of Cabo Verde
  3. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal

They are accompanied by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray. This mission is tasked with engaging the coup leaders who have named General Horta N'Tam as the transitional leader to ensure a full and immediate restoration of civilian rule.

International Reaction: African Union and UN Condemn Coup

The international community has universally condemned the military takeover:

  1. African Union (AU): The AU Commission Chairperson unequivocally condemned the coup, reiterating the body's "zero tolerance" for unconstitutional changes of government and calling for the unconditional release of detainees.
  2. United Nations (UN): UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed "deep concern" and appealed to all stakeholders to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law.
  3. Other Nations: Countries including South Africa and France have also condemned the move, urging respect for constitutional order and the democratic process.

This latest military takeover plunges Guinea-Bissau, a nation with a history of political instability and coups, back into crisis. ECOWAS’s swift and decisive suspension is a necessary measure, reflecting a regional resolve to halt the recent surge in military coups across West Africa.

However, the situation is complex. The coup comes amid a fiercely contested presidential election, with both the deposed President Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, claiming victory. The coup leaders' immediate suspension of the electoral process deepens the legitimacy crisis. There are even allegations from the opposition that Embaló may have fabricated the coup to avoid an election loss—a claim Embaló's supporters deny.

The success of the ECOWAS mediation mission rests on its ability to navigate this deep political divide, ensure the timely publication of election results, and secure an undisputed path back to civilian rule that avoids the one-year transition period proposed by the military junta. The credibility of West Africa's democratic norms is once again being tested in Bissau.